Today, the price of printing a document typically varies only a limited amount, often having only two pricing tiers: black and white or color. Occasionally, the pricing scheme varies depending on the number of colors required to print the document. For example, a document requiring three different colors would cost more than a document requiring only two. These pricing schemes are typically not an accurate reflection of the true cost of printing a specific document. For example, a document designed mostly in black and white with a single small splash of color in the logo may cost the customer the same price as a document designed with a large full color picture, even though the second document requires substantially more ink than the first document. As a result, the customer may end up paying more than he should for the printing of his document, or alternatively, a merchant may end up charging less than he should to cover the cost of printing a document. This creates two problems for the printing business. There is a cost barrier for their customers, limiting the market to customers willing to pay the premium price or customers doing full color jobs. Another problem is the inability of the print provider to control their profit margins.
What is needed is a system and method for pricing a print job so as to more accurately reflect the true cost of the print job. The present invention addresses such needs.